The Welsh Conservatives have today pledged to put food security at the heart of national security policy, warning that Wales has become increasingly reliant on imported food after decades of decline in domestic agricultural production.
Andrew RT Davies said Wales needed a long-term plan to reverse the fall in food production, invest in farming and encourage the next generation into agriculture.
Thirty years ago, around 75 per cent of the food consumed in the UK was produced in the UK.
Today, that figure has fallen to less than 60 per cent, leaving the country more exposed to global shocks and international conflicts.
Andrew RT Davies MS, Shadow Minister for Farming and the Environment, said:
"Food security is national security. In an increasingly uncertain world, we cannot afford to become ever more reliant on imported food from overseas.
"Thirty years ago, this country produced around three quarters of the food we consumed. Today that has fallen to less than 60 per cent. That decline should concern everyone.
"Instead of taking productive farmland out of use or making life harder for our farming families, we should be backing them to produce the food our country needs.
"Farmers are the custodians of our countryside and the backbone of our rural economy, but above all they are the people who put food on our tables.
"We want to reverse the decline in food production by investing in Welsh agriculture, embracing innovation and ensuring farming remains a modern, vibrant part of our economy.
"The Welsh Conservatives will always stand up for our farmers and prioritise food security."
